Closed on Wednesday, June 19th in observance of Juneteeth

Special Events:

Boston Kids Comics Fest @ Northeastern University Saturday, June 8 @ 10-5pm

The 4th annual Boston Kids Comics Festival, celebrating comics for children and the love of reading, is back and in person on Saturday, June 8th! This is a passion project of the Ashland Library Director and the Friends of the Ashland Library are happy to be a sponsor of this event.

The premiere dedicated annual children’s comics festival in the country, BKCFest is a community celebration of comics, learning, and laughter for elementary and middle schoolers, and their parents, educators, and librarians. As ever, BKCFest will host a marketplace of independent comics creators, spotlighting local authors and illustrators whose work ranges from hand-crafted zines to published graphic novels. Admission is free and open to all ages.

BKCF’s free-to-all programming includes hands-on workshops, where young comics-makers can get advice and guidance from professional comics-makers as well as opportunities to draw with our exhibitors and creators. The Fest always has a host of amazing headliners, as well, so stay tuned for more information as our comic creators are confirmed.

Summer Reading Kickoff Party! Tuesday, June 18, 2024 @5:30-7:30pm

Kick off the summer in style! Sign up all the kids for the summer reading club and then enjoy an evening party at the library, complete with games, ice cream, a bounce house and pony rides! Registration is required.

Adult:

Fixit Clinic at the Ashland Public Library Saturday, June 1 @ 1-3pm

We are very excited to be hosting a Fixit Clinic at the Ashland Public Library. Fixit Clinic is an all-ages, do-it-together activity where people bring their broken household things and learn how to assess, disassemble, and repair them instead of sending them to landfill. Don’t toss it, fix it!

Virtual - Environmental Book Club Wednesday, June 5 @ 6:30pm

Watch and be ready to discuss “Chasing Ice” by Jeff Orlowski.

Virtual - Romance Book Club Thursday, June 6 @ 6:30pm

Read an Eastern European Romance

A Meditative Outdoors Walk with Hannah Stein

Saturday, June 8 @ 10am

Join fellow Ashlanders and Hannah Stein, Owner of Ashland REIKI & Wellness Center, on this lovely walk designed to increase your awareness of the relaxing and healing benefits of nature that you can discover right here in Ashland, Massachusetts!

Virtual: Asian Art Series: Art Across Asia - Expressions of Gender in Asian Art Sunday, June 9 @ 2:30pm

Gender fluid and non-binary depictions have existed for thousands of years in Asian art.

Explore works which support this belief in non-duality. Let’s celebrate Pride Month with this important discussion!

Card Making with Jan Poppendieck Monday, June 10 @ 6:30pm

Come join us for an evening of card making with Jan. We will learn stamping and card making techniques using our huge stash of supplies.

Virtual - Author Caitlin Cass Discusses “Suffrage Song The Haunted History of Gender, Race and Voting Rights in the U.S.”

 Virtual - Author Talk: Adam Smyth Discusses “The Book-Makers - A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives”

Tuesday, June 18 @ 10am

Books have transformed humankind by enabling authors to create, document, and entertain. Yet we know little about the individuals who brought these fascinating objects into existence and of those who first experimented in the art of printing, design, and binding. Who were the renegade book-makers who changed the course of history? We are thrilled to be chatting with author Adam Smyth about this topic so close to our hearts.

Virtual - Celebrating a Book Birthday with Travel Author Paige McClanahan: “The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel”

Tuesday, June 18 @ 2pm

we’re celebrating with travel author, Paige McClanahan about her book “The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel””, a brilliantly evocative, surprising, and page-turning exploration of how tourism has shaped the world, for better and for worse—essential reading for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the implications of their wanderlust!

Great Decisions

Thursday, June 20 @ 6:30pm Discuss U.S. - China Trade Rivalry

Virtual - Haunted Experiences with Jeff DePaoli: Canobie Lake Screeemfest with Senior Supervisor of Screeemfest Design & Development, Michael Perron

Thursday, June 20 @ 6:30pm

For six weekends, Canobie Lake Park SCREEEMFEST (located in nearby Salem, NH) delivers family fun by day and a healthy dose of fear by night. You get TONS of rides, haunted houses, kid-friendly fun, live shows, roving monsters and much, much more.

Paper Craft Makerspace

Monday, June 10 @ 7pm

We hope you can join us for what is going to be a fascinating conversation with author Caitlin Cass on her book, “Suffrage Song: The Haunted History of Gender, Race and Voting Rights in the U.S.” Part graphic novel, part map of the suffrage movement, this book tells the story of the fight for the right to vote by women from the very beginning.

Virtual - Book Recs with Bookstagrammer Jody Blanchette aka @redreadreviews Tuesday, June 11 @ 7pm

Not sure what to read next? Join Jody for 30 minutes of pure book recommendations - with a bent towards horror and thrillers and a few other genres thrown in! We’re sure you’ll find something to like from Jody’s many enthusiastic reviews.

Bio/Memoir Book Club Wednesday, June 12 @ 11am

Read “Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family” by Mark Daley.

Virtual - Photography: The Art of Composition

Wednesday, June 12 @ 7pm

Learn how to see a subject or scene in different ways. Create better images with confidence and creativity using 12 elements of composition, like lines, perspective, symmetry, depth and dimension and much more.

Virtual - Author Talk: Ben Kane Discusses “Stormcrow: A Gripping and Epic Viking Adventure”

Thursday, June 13 @ 2pm

We are huge Viking era fans (Vikings on Netflix, totally there!). If you, too are a fan, please join our conversation with author Ben Kane as he discusses “StormCrow”. On the east coast of Ireland thirteen-year old Finn finds the sword of a slain Norseman, and with Odin’s raven watching, is given the name Stormcrow.

Virtual - Author Shannon Reed Discusses

Monday, June 24 @ 6:30pm

We’ll supply the materials, you supply the creativity! Come create your own greeting cards, junk journals, art journals, altered books, etc. using the library’s extensive collection of stamps, inks, papers, punches, dies, embellishments, and embossing materials.

Virtual - LGBTQ+ Book Club

*For 15-100

Monday, June 24 @ 7pm

Read “Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank” by Eric Orner (he/him)

Virtual - Q&A with True Crime Authors Katherine Ramsland & Tracy Ullman: “The Serial Killer’s Apprentice”

Monday, June 24 @ 7pm

If you are a fan of true crime and want to dive deep into the psychology of a serial killer and his apprentice, this program is for you! Join authors Katherine Ramsland and Tracy Ullman as they discuss their most recent book, “The Serial Killer’s Apprentice”, a psychological examination of the blurred line between victim and accomplice—and how a killer can be created.

Virtual - Q&A with Author Scott Ryan: “The Last Decade of Cinema”

Tuesday, June 25 @ 7pm

Ah, the nineties. Movies were something in those days. We’re talking about a decade that began with GoodFellas and ended with Magnolia, with such films as Malcolm X, Before Sunrise, and Clueless arriving somewhere in between. Stories, characters, and writing were king. If you’re a fan, a movie buff, or just a child of the 90s, please join us in conversation with author Scott Ryan as we discuss what made them classics and why they could never be produced in today’s film culture.

Half-Past Crafts: Corner Bookmarks Wednesday, June 26 @ 6:30pm

This month we are revisiting leather crafts by making cute corner bookmarks!

 “Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One Page Before Lights Out” Thursday, June 13 @ 7pm

This one is for readers everywhere (and, isn’t that perfect that it’s with a LIBRARY)! Join us as we chat with author Shannon Reed about her book, “Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One Page Before Lights Out”. Why DO we read? What compels us to? What holds our attention? How many of us remember reading by a flashlight after hours?

Mystery Book Club Friday, June 14 @ 12pm

Read “Before She Disappeared” by Lisa Gardner.

Virtual - Friday Night Film Discussion Friday, June 14 @ 7pm

TBA

Cookbook Club

Saturday, June 15 @ 12pm

Cook from”The Brazilian Kitchen: 100 Classic and Contemporary Recipes for the Home Cook” by Leticia Moreinos Schwartz or “Authentic Brazilian Home Cooking: Simple, Delicious Recipes for Classic Latin American Flavors” by Olivia Mesquita

Virtual: Ashland Adult Book Club Wednesday, June 26 @ 6:30pm

Read “West With Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge

Virtual: Q&A with author Lucy Gilmore: “The Library of Borrowed Hearts”

Wednesday, June 26 @ 7pm

We all know the transformative power of books and how they can help us connect with those around us. We are so excited to welcome author Lucy Gilmore to Ashland as she discusses her book “The Library of Borrowed Hearts” the follow-up to her wonderful “The Lonely Hearts Book Club”.

We’ll be chatting about these uplifting, heartwarming novels which are about some of our favorite things - friendship, books, and how important it is to find the family you were always meant to have.

Virtual: Deepfakes and AI Media Thursday, June 27 @ 7pm

Join Bard College film professor Joshua Glick for a wide-ranging conversation about artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on contemporary media. We’ll talk about how these technologies are shaping the film and TV industry as well as the proliferation of “deepfakes” – AI-enabled videos that depict people doing or saying things they never did or said. Come with your hopes, questions, and concerns about this emerging media landscape.

Virtual - Friday Night Film Discussion Friday, June 28 @ 7pm

Watch “The Fencer” (Kanopy)

Adult Weekly:

Knit and Crochet Club

Mondays @ 6pm Walk-In

ESL Conversation Group

Mondays @ 6:30pm Walk-In Gentle Yoga

Tuesdays at 6pm Registration Required

Children:

Pigeon Party!

Monday, June 17 @ 10:30-11

The Pigeon is coming to the library! Pigeon and the bus driver perform a silly skit about the library’s summer reading club. Then enjoy Pigeon-themed games, crafts and music.

Registration required.

Enviroscape Science with Becca

 Thursday, June 20 @ 10-11am Join Becca from our Conservation

Department to explore environmental science in a hands-on way! The Enviroscape is an interactive model of a town and all the inner workings of the watershed. Kids will learn how water moves through the Town of Ashland and how we can be responsible stewards of our natural resources.

Registration required.

Flicknic: Trolls Band Together Thursday, June 20 @ 12-2pm

Families are invited to beat the summer heat for this movie event! Bring your picnic blanket and lunch to enjoy while you watch a movie on our big screen! No registration required.

Storytime and Recycled Craft

Friday, June 21 @ 2-2:45pm Thursday, June 27 @ 2-2:45pm

Engaging stories for families end with a special art project. This summer we’re celebrating all things environmentally friendly, so we’ll be using materials we already have for all of these crafts.

Stories, Songs, and Stretches

*for ages 4-7

Monday, June 24 @ 10-10:30am At the Farmer’s Market Field

Kids and their parents or caregivers are invited to play together through stories, songs and yoga shapes. No experience or equipment necessary!

Vernal Pool Exploration with Becca 

Tuesday, June 25 @ 2-3pm

What is a vernal pool? Why are they important? Hike to a local vernal pool with Becca from the Conservation Department to find out the answers to these questions and more! For kids and their caregivers.

Registration required.

Mr. Vinny the Bubble Guy! 

Wednesday, June 26 @ 2-3pm

Using giant bubble wands designed and constructed by the Bubble Guy himself, he will gather kids for an hour long game of watch, chase, and pop the bubbles! For families. Registration required.

Lego Club with Kim the Lego Lady

*Grades K-3

Thursday, June 27 @ 10:30-11:30am

Calling all LEGO masters! Join Kim the Lego Lady for an interactive building adventure! Afterward, your awesome creations will be displayed in the library until the next LEGO club! Registration required.

Flicknic: Strange World 

Friday, June 28 @ 12-2pm

Families are invited to beat the summer heat for this movie event! Bring your picnic blanket and lunch to enjoy while you watch a movie on our big screen! No registration required.

Saturday Story Time

*For Ages 3 and up Saturday, June 1 @ 10:30am Saturday, June 8 @ 10:30am

Saturday, June 15 @ 10:30am Saturday, June 22 @ 10:30am Saturday, June 29 @ 10:30am

Come listen to Ryan read some of his favorite stories aloud!

Read to dog with Knives and Machete

(yes, those really are the dogs’ names!)

*For kids who are reading on their own Saturday, June 8 @ 1:30pm

Saturday, June 22 @ 1:30pm

Children with some reading ability will have the chance to read to one of our registered therapy dogs for 10 minutes.

Weekly Storytimes:

PJ Story Time with Ryan (and his stuffed animals!)

*For Ages 3 and up

Tuesdays @ 5:30 pm through June 11th

Storytime Sprouts

* For ages 0-3 with a caregiver Wednesdays @ 10:30am

Join us for a fun and interactive story time filled with singing, reading, bounces, fingerplays, puppets, instruments, and more! This engaging program is designed to introduce young children to the joys of literature and music while promoting early literacy skills.

Alphabits

*For kids ages 4 & 5

Thursdays @ 10:30am through June 13th Alphabits is a story time program where each week kids focus on a different letter of the alphabet. Stories, songs, rhymes and a fun art project complement this early literacy-focused 45-minute session. Caregivers wait outside the children’s program room for this independent storytime.

Clocktown Rockers!

*For ages 2-5 with a caregiver Fridays at 10:30-11am

*Note: Moving to Tuesdays on June 25th Join Miss Katrina for this new music and movement program! We’ll dance to favorite kids’ tunes, have fun with instruments and other props, and read a story, all while building your child’s early literacy and executive function skills.

Weekly:

Friday Afternoon Story And Craft

*For Ages 4-7

Fridays @ 4:15pm through June 14

Stop into the children’s room for a program geared towards children Age 4-7 and their caregivers. We will read a story and do a related craft project.

Teen:

Teen Trivia Night: Your Choice Edition Wednesday, June 26, 2024 @5pm

Come test your knowledge against your friends at our Teen Trivia Night! June’s theme is voted on by YOU. Voting is open until June 12th, winning category announced on June 13th. Vote at https://tinyurl.com/APLTeen-Trivia-Vote!

Friends of the Ashland Public Library Two Day Book Sale!

 Friday, June 7 @ 6-8pm (Member preview - join at the door!) Saturday, June 8 @ 10-4pm

Our Big Book Sale is back! Join us for the full day to pick up some wonderful books, movies, audiobooks and the beautiful Chinese Brush Paintings. We have thousands of gently used books if you’re looking for something special for the adults, teens, and kids in your life. OR, join us on Friday night for a special Members Only preview!

Donations will still be accepted from 10am-1pm. To keep our shelves stocked with fresh selections, the Friends accept donations in the library parking lot of gently used books, audio books, and DVDs. Friends volunteers will be available to assist donors during this time. There is also a cart in the mezzanine lobby for donations at any time during library hours.

Customers for all our sales will find thousands of titles on the permanent sales shelves including hard and soft cover fiction (all alphabetized by author for ease of shopping), a wide selection of history and politics titles, health and family living books, plus memoirs, biographies, and loads of additional titles, all arranged by genre. An entire section of the Book Sale Room is arranged for children to browse and select from a huge collection of board books, picture books, easy readers, and chapter books.